Blood in the Water: Princess of Fire
by Elle917
Summary: Azula wasn't quite the deadliest woman the Fire Nation produced. Part I: Princess of Fire - It's not easy being a Waterbender in the middle of the Fire Nation. Zuko x Katara, Sokka x Suki, Aang x ?, Toph x ?. Slight AU. Set 10  years after the series ends
1. Prologue

**A/N: **Okay, so I'll be the first to admit that I probably got some stuff wrong. I watched the beginning and end of the series, but missed a lot of the stuff in between, so I'm a little clueless. But this idea's been hanging around my brain for a while, and I just wanted to see what you guys thought of it.

Also, updates will be a little slow. I'm an honors college student, and real life can be a little stupid sometimes. But I'll do my best to get them up when I can.

A note on this chapter, regarding Azula…it was just fun to imagine this from her point of view. So you can regard her as having recovered a little bit from the war and being a little more sane (as well as being without her bending).

Hope you like!

Also…this goes without saying that this is slightly AU, since Zuko and Katara are together. Other pairings include Sokka x Suki, and as for what happened to Aang, Toph, and any other loose ends…submit a review and let me know what you think the pairings should be!

**Disclaimer: **Kiri is mine mine mine! And all the other OCs. But I don't own anything else.

**PROLOGUE**

_Splash._

Somewhere inside the chamber, droplets of water fell to the floor. Voices murmured in reaction, one angry and disappointed, the other gentle and encouraging. The torches that lit the small chamber crackled, the smell of burning wood light in the air. In the corner of the room, a fountain continued to splash, water falling into the pool. A distant voice let out another shout of effort-again, water splashed onto the tiled floor. Azula leaned against the room's wall with her arms folded_, _her expression set in a permanent glower of disapproval as she watched. Inside, she felt a twinge of dark amusement. _  
_

Little Kiri wasn't on top of her game today, not that _that _was saying much. Her niece thrust her hand out in a crude mockery of a Firebending technique, the feeble stream of water following along behind it falling uselessly onto the ground. Her mother said a few more gentle words, quietly pushing the girl's arm back into the Waterbending stance that she had been trying to teach her for the better part of two weeks. The corners of Azula's mouth turned up in a smirk. She wondered if Katara noticed the way the girl stiffened in pain as her mother's fingers closed around her right arm. Doubted it. Her little niece was _good_-her expression hardly even changed. Kiri kept silent out of a twisted mix of honor and pride.

No...she wouldn't _dare _tell Mama and Papa about the mean little noble brats that had ganged up on her in the palace's backyard yesterday.

Conditional release was so very boring, with her bending gone and herself more or less placed under house arrest, but at least she had this sort of thing to watch and look forward to.

"You're too tense, Kiri," she heard Katara say, her voice echoing in the chamber and drowning out the sound of the fountain for just a moment. "Waterbending is about being softer. Graceful. You can't use Firebending stances for this."

"I'm _trying_, Mama!" said Kiri frustratedly. Her voice sounded high-pitched to Azula. Grating. Her eyes narrowed. Whiny little brat. "It's just not _working!" _She kicked at the water in front of her, splashing some of it up.

Trying. Eight years old and already such a liar. Then again, trying might have been the right word for it. Trying to be a Firebender.

Pathetic.

Katara sighed. Obviously little miss Fire Lady was running out of patience as well. "Maybe you're trying too hard," she said. "Try to loosen up a little. Let's start it again."

At her mother's direction, Kiri resumed her stance. Azula didn't need to look to know the outcome of this one. She had killed enough Waterbenders in her lifetime. Legs were too far apart, back too straight, arms too tense. Katara saw the stance errors, of course, but she couldn't see the source.

The door to the chamber opened, outside light filtering in and interrupting Azula's show. Both mother and daughter turned towards it, illuminated in the glow cast by the opening door. A servant girl-Azula couldn't be bothered to remember her name-stood there, looking nervous.

"Excuse me, my lady, but the dignitaries from the Earth Kingdom are here. The Fire Lord asks that you entertain them while he sees to some other business." Azula didn't need to ask which "lady" the servant meant. After all, nobody ever asked for her around here, except to ask where she had been.

Katara looked hesitantly at Kiri. The girl stood there with her hands in her pockets and rolled her shoulders in a half-hearted shrug. Half-hearted, half-baked. It was disgusting. Azula could feel Katara's eyes suddenly turn on her, distrustful. She snorted quietly. If she had wanted to hurt the brat, then bending or no bending, she would already have been dead.

"I'll be right there," said Katara to the servant. "Kiri, keep on working on that stance."

Azula looked up as the door closed behind Katara, noticing that Kiri was looking at her. The girl's fists were clenched at her side, her shoulders suddenly rigid. Azula raised an eyebrow, sizing her up. Her skin was slightly darker than the usual Fire Nation pale, but it wasn't quite as dark as her mother's. Long black hair fell down her back, tied up in a ponytail. Her eyes were bright blue, even bluer than her mother' stand off continued for a few more moments, before Azula smirked.

"Aren't you going to practice that stance?" she asked, the question laced with fake innocence.

And Kiri knew that.

"...I'm tired today," she said. "I think I'll work on it later."

Disgraceful. Her little half-blood niece needed a rude awakening.

Azula straightened up, her heel hitting the floor with a click as she walked towards Kiri. She placed her hands on her hips, smirking widely as she walked over to the fountain and looked down. Kiri watched her uncertainly.

"It's never going to work, you know," said Azula."What you're doing."

Kiri shrugged again, quickly looking away. "I'm not doing anything."

Oh, she was good...but she still had _so _much to learn.

"Don't play dumb with me, brat," said Azula, turning towards her sharply. "You don't have any right to use those stances! You don't have any right to _pretend_!"

"I'm not pretending anything!" said Kiri, rising to the challenge. So not only was she pathetic, she was also predictable.

"Really? Because that sure looked like pretending to be a Firebender to me!"

"Well, you're wrong!" said Kiri. "And I don't have to listen to you!"

Her blue eyes glittered, almost glowed. If Azula didn't know any better, she would say they _burned_. Which was why doing what she did next was so pleasing to her. She reached out, drawing her palm quickly across the girl's cheek. The sound of the blow echoed in the small room, and Kiri let out a shout of pain, jumping back.

"You can't do that!" she said. "I'll-!"

"You'll _what_?" asked Azula with a sneer, reaching out and grabbing the girl's arm. Her _injured _arm, the one that Kiri had been trying so hard to hide. She twisted it behind the girl's back, pulling her closer. "You'll tell _Daddy _on me? Is that what you'll do, Kiri?" She grabbed the girl by her ponytail, her nails digging into her hair.

"Ow!" shrieked Kiri. "Ow! Ow! Auntie! You're hurting me! You're hurting me!"

Azula shook her. "Shut up and look at yourself," she said, shoving her forward slightly while still holding onto her hand and head. She had grabbed the girl, positioning her so that she was forced to look into the fountain. At her own reflection. Kiri stared at it wide-eyed, tears trickling down her face. She fell silent. She didn't even sob. Azula wasn't sure if she was _breathing_. "Do you see that?" she asked, leaning in closer to the girl's ear. "A pathetic excuse for a Water Tribe peasant masquerading as a Fire Nation princess. You keep trying and trying and trying to be better, but you'll never be what you want to be-what _they _want you to be. You'll never be a Firebender. And the way you're turning out, you're turning into a poor excuse for a Waterbender, and a disgrace to this country. Little half-blood princess, can't do Fire, won't do Water, just an inconvenient accident that everybody forgets and gets shoved away. A weakling-the regrettable offspring of a weak Fire Lord and a Water Tribe peasant. You'll live the rest of your life in your little brother's shadow, because let's face it. You'll never be anybody worth noticing-anything worth mention."

Kiri was shaking beneath her grip. Her words struck home. Azula's sneer became an ugly grin as she let go of her, shoving her forward onto the stones. She fell to her knees, throwing out her arms to protect herself.

"You'll never be strong," she said. "That's who you'll always be. And you know it, don't you? That's why you don't even try."

Kiri turned her head towards her in shock, her eyes wide. Tears continued to dribble down her face. Azula turned around in a swish of fabric, her gold eyes gleaming as she left the room.

That night, Azula sat beside her window, running a brush through her hair with a self-satisfied smirk on her face. Her window faced the beach-the crashing sound of the waves and the smell of saltwater rushing up to her. The moon-half-full-cast silvery light on the surface of the water.

And on the figure of a young girl standing at the water's edge. Azula took in her fluid movements, the way she swept up the sea's water into her hands, releasing it in a near-perfect water whip. Droplets of water flew through the air, caught and merged into another stream as she moved again, swaying in time to the ebb and flow of the ocean.

Little Princess Kiri was so predictable. And so much like her.

She only needed a _challenge. _


	2. Kiri

**A/N: **A note on their names. I tried my best to keep in the Asian flavor of the whole Avatar series.

Kiri - Hindi name that means "amaranth flower". I picked it because I wanted to emphasize her "waterbender-ness" and "K" is a common letter in Water Tribe names (So**kk**a, Ha**k**oda, **K**atara, Pa**kk**u, **K**anna...etc).

Zian - Chinese name meaning "son of peace". Picked it for the appropriate meaning, and also because "Z" is a common letter in Fire Nation names (**Z**uko, O**z**ai, A**z**ula)

Yuzuki - Japanese name meaning "elegant moon".

**Disclaimer: **Kiri and all the OCs are mine. But I don't own anything else.

**PART I: PRINCESS OF FIRE**

**Chapter One: Kiri**

Kiri spun the thin, light-brown stick of ice between slender fingertips, feeling the cold brush against her skin as she stared at the papers on her desk. She grimaced at the almost illegible scribblings of numbers and equations in the notebook in front of her, running a hand through her already tousled black hair and letting out a small groan. Her fingers trailed across her face, leaving ink streaks in their wake, but she didn't notice.

"Agni, I hate math," she said, leaning back into her seat and tilting her head back. "Why do we have to learn this anyway?"

"Part of our comprehensive royal education," said the boy behind her. He was lying on her bed, his legs hanging off the other end as he kicked them back and forth. He was about twelve years old, and dressed in red and black. Zian's hair was dark brown, but his skin was paler than hers, and his eyes were the same shade of burnished gold as their father's. Kiri raised an eyebrow at him.

"Shoes off," she said.

"My feet aren't even _on _your bed!" protested Zian.

"I don't care. Shoes off now."

Zian groaned, getting up to unlace his boots. Kiri straightened up and rubbed out a kink in her neck, listening to the sound as his boots hit the floor. "You know, when I'm Fire Lord..." he mumbled.

"I'll still be your older sister," said Kiri. "Older sister trumps Fire Lord."

"No, it doesn't."

"Yes, it does."

"No, it doesn't."

"Yes, it does."

"No, it doesn't."

"Wanna go outside and find out?" asked Kiri with a mischievous grin, turning around in her seat to face him.

Zian grinned. "I'll tell Mama you threatened me," he warned, laying back onto the bed.

"Mama's boy," said Kiri with a small snort. She turned around, picking up her pen and looking back at her work.

"Daddy's girl," echoed Zian from the bed.

"So what?" asked Kiri, staring down at the numbers in front of her as if they would finally start making sense. "And anyway, that's not me anymore. That's Yuzuki."

"Right," said Zian. "You're an ex-Daddy's girl, which is even _worse_."

"Shut up and let me do my work," said Kiri, turning her head to face him. Zian stuck his tongue out at her. Kiri sighed, turning around and glancing at the cup of tea next to her. She grimaced. The tea was ice cold, and not in the good way.

"...Zian?" she asked.

"Yeah?" asked Zian, rolling over to look at her.

"Think you could heat this up for me?" she asked, gesturing at the tea. Zian pushed himself up easily, walking over to her. He sighed, running a hand through his brown hair as he reached the desk. He picked up the cup of tea, his eyes widening.

"What did you do to this thing?" he asked. "It's almost summer!"

"What do you think I did to it?" asked Kiri, holding up the stick of ice in her hand. Zian squinted at it.

"What _is _that? A tea needle?" he asked. "You're a Teabender now?"

"I was just practicing," said Kiri, slipping the stick of ice back into the cup.

"Who the heck practices with _tea_?" asked Zian, scratching the back of his head. "Bet Uncle Iroh wouldn't like that."

Kiri grinned. "He likes me. I make good tea," she said. She reached out, shoving him lightly in the arm. "Now make with the hot tea, sunshine," she said.

Zian rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine, no need to get _pushy_," he said. He held the cup in his hands, concentrating. Kiri watched with interest as heat emanated from her little brother's hands, steam beginning to rise from the cup. Kiri still considered herself the better bender, but there was only a year between them and Zian was catching up fast. She would need to work on that. He opened his eyes after a while, setting the warmed cup of tea on her desk.

"There," he said. "Don't burn your mouth on it."

"I can handle a little heat," said Kiri, raising an eyebrow as she took a sip of tea. She coughed and spluttered as the tea scalded her mouth, nearly dropping the cup. "I told you to make it _hot_, not _boiling_!" she shrieked, spinning around to face Zian, who was laughing.

"I hate to say I told you so..." he began.

"GAH! YOU'RE AN _IDIOT_!"

Which, of course, only started him laughing again.

A little later, Kiri leaned back in her chair, shooting Zian a glare as she sucked on an ice cube. He was still grinning, leaning on her desk with his hand next to the no-longer boiling tea.

"So what are you doing today?" he asked. "Besides messing up math homework."

Kiri frowned, glancing at the clock. "I'm heading down to the palace seamstress at 2 to get fitted for the dress I'm supposed to wear to that thing in Ba Sing Se. Then at 4, I promised Yuzu I would take her to the puppet show. And at 5:30, I'm meeting Meilin. She's out with Arashi."

Zian grinned teasingly. "Ooh," he said. "Arashi..."

Kiri glared at him. "It wasn't funny last year, it wasn't funny at my birthday party, and it's not funny now," she said. "Don't you have Firebending practice to do today or something?"

"Not for another hour," said Zian, leaning against the desk. "I'm waiting for Dad to get out of his meeting. He was going to see what I've been working on."

"...Oh," said Kiri, quietly. She looked back at her notebook, flipping the page. "Did you finish the sixth set yet?" she asked.

"I think the fire's supposed to be a little stronger, but I'm working on it," he said. He paused for a moment, staring at the door. "I should probably practice before I show-off, right?"

"Good idea," said Kiri, pulling out a sheet of clean paper and attempting the calculations again.

Zian sighed, slipping his hands into his pockets. "I'll run through it a couple more times," he said, straightening up.

"Not in here, you won't," said Kiri, not even looking up. "You're not setting my room on fire again."

"Why not?" asked Zian with a grin. "You're a Waterbender, aren't you?"

Kiri shoved him playfully in the direction of the door. Zian stumbled forward, straightening up and mumbling under his breath about overbearing sisters as he walked towards it. Kiri rolled her eyes, turning back towards her homework. Zian didn't leave, though, placing his hand on the door and turning his head to face her.

"Hey, Kiri?" he asked.

She looked up. Zian shifted uncomfortably, his fingers curling around the doorknob. "...If you and Meilin are going over to her house, be careful," he said. "Jiang and his cronies have been hanging around that area a lot."

Kiri grinned confidently. "I'll be fine," she said. "I can handle Jiang."

"Just thought you should know," said Zian with a small smile, walking out of the room and closing the door behind him.

XxXxX

"You okay?" asked Meilin as Kiri reached her. Kiri raised her hand towards her friend, nodding once and placing her hands on her knees as she caught her breath. She straightened up, looking up at the sky and breathing softly.

"Fine," said Kiri, adjusting her ponytail. The thirteen-year-old took a deep breath, fixing her deep red clothes. "I just ran all the way here. Yuzu wanted to stop for Fire Gummies."

"You know I don't mind waiting, what, five...ten minutes, right?" asked Meilin with a grin, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Punctuality is an important trait in the royal family," said Kiri with a grin, squaring her shoulders in a mockery of her etiquette teacher and pushing her hair back imperiously. Meilin laughed.

"You and Mistress Liu could be twins," she said. She started walking down the street. Kiri followed her. "Speaking of school, did you get the homework done?"

Kiri grimaced. She had almost forgotten about the math homework. After standing for the better part of an hour letting a crazy old lady stick pins in her while asking her if she wanted her dress to follow the current fashion trends in the Fire Nation or in the Earth Kingdom, having to rescue a servant girl from her even crazier aunt-and bearing the brunt of Azula's tongue lashing in the process-and sitting through a children's puppet show with her little sister, she had better things to think about than incomprehensible school work.

"No," she said. "I'm halfway through that essay we have to do, but the math is being stupid."

"_Please _tell me we're not going to spend two hours debating your essay again," said Meilin with a sudden grimace.

Kiri smiled, placing her hands on her hips. "I can't help it if Mistress Xiao is a racist fire-supremacist living in the wrong decade," she said. "She asked for a paper on the start of Sozin's War. I'm giving her a paper on the start of Sozin's war."

Meilin groaned, pressing her face into her palm. "...I'll take that as a no," she mumbled.

"She has to debate with me because she can't technically _fail _me, or Father would throw a fit," said Kiri with a shrug. "If she wants to go back to the age of censorship, that's her problem."

Meilin sighed. "There goes tomorrow afternoon," she said.

Meilin was thirteen-years-old, Kiri's classmate at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls. The school had come a long way since her aunt attended it, but there were still a few kinks to work out. Ending the war was the easy part. Ending the Fire Nation's mentality towards other nations...and vice versa...well, that was a bit more of a challenge. Three generations of propaganda under Sozin, Azulon, and Ozai couldn't exactly be erased with a snap of Fire Lord Zuko's fingers. If it could, life would be a lot easier for her right now. But Kiri understood that much. Her father was doing his best.

Zian would take the throne of a nation changed almost completely from Fire Lord Ozai's rule. Kiri was sure of that.

Now if only she could make sure that her baby brother was reading the right books...

"Kiri?" asked Meilin. "Did you hear a word I said?"

Kiri blinked, turning towards her friend. Meilin was the perfect picture of a Fire Nation girl. Pale, slender, with amber-colored eyes caught somewhere between brown and gold. Those eyes were impatient now as she looked at her, a frown on her face.

"No, sorry," admitted Kiri. "I was thinking about Zian."

"Again?" asked Meilin. "One of these days, someone's gonna mistake you for his mother."

Kiri grimaced. "Yuck," she said. "I'm only a year older than he is."

"Well, forget about our Fire Prince for a moment," said Meilin. "This is _important_. My family's going to our beach house in Ember Island for a couple of weeks when school lets out. I'm allowed to bring one friend, and you're it, so start packing."

Kiri blinked. "Was that an order?" she asked.

"If I don't bring you, Arisa is going to make me bring _her_. And if you love me, you're not going to do that to me," said Meilin, making a face. "Besides, some cousins are coming over. We're gonna have a Kuai Ball tournament, and Arisa sucks at Kuai Ball."

"Arisa has two left feet," said Kiri, nodding in agreement. "I'll ask my parents. But I might have to leave early. I'm supposed to make an appearance with my father at the Earth King's summer formal...thing in Ba Sing Se."

"Going to international parties now?" asked Meilin with a teasing smile.

"Oh, shut it," said Kiri. "Apparently, since I'm 13, I need to start showing myself in the political arena." She grimaced. "I wonder if I can sneak _out _of the Impenetrable City."

"Come on, it can't be that bad," said Meilin. "Don't you have cousins in the Earth Kingdom?"

"They all live on Kyoshi Island," said Kiri with a groan. "And they're not going anywhere near Ba Sing Se."

"Well, that's too bad," said Meilin. "Bring me back a fan or something."

"Traitor," said Kiri, pushing her lightly in the arm. Meilin laughed, stumbling back and rubbing her arm.

"Either way, Ember Island. Don't forget. I am _not _losing to Arashi and Tom-Tom for the third year in a row."

"I'll ask tonight," said Kiri with a grin. "I'll tell you in school tomorrow."

"Good," said Meilin. "That way, I can plan the party while you debate with Mistress Xiao about whether or not Sozin's war was justified."

"There's a party now?" asked Kiri with a frown.

"Since you're going to be stuck in the middle of the Earth Kingdom on my birthday, I'm going to have the party at Ember Island," she said. "That way, you don't have any excuse to miss it."

Kiri rolled her eyes. "Your birthday, Zian's birthday, then Yuzu's birthday. Why did all of you have to be born in the summer anyway?"

"It's a Firebender thing," said Meilin.

Kiri frowned, stopping in her tracks. Meilin stopped walking, turning towards her. Her eyes were wide. "Look, Kiri..." she said. "I didn't mean..."

Kiri shook her head. "It's not you," she said, her eyes hardening as her fists clenched at her side. They had turned the corner towards Meilin's house, and her eyes were fixed on a boy that stood on the street corner. He was fifteen, with dark brown hair tied up in a traditional Fire Nation ponytail. He stood with a group of friends around him, balancing a fireball in his hand. There was a sneer on his face, and his eyes were narrowed and fixed on her. Meilin turned around as well, her eyes widening.

Jiang.

"Hey, look, guys!" said Jiang. "The little rat crawled out of her hole!"

Kiri's hands shook, her shoulders tensing. Meilin quickly moved forward, placing her hand on Kiri's arm and glaring at Jiang.

"...Don't," whispered Meilin. "Don't do it. It's not worth it."

Meilin's fingers closed around her arm, tugging her in the direction of the house. Kiri followed her, her posture rigid.

"Hey, rat!" called Jiang as she walked. "I heard a rumor that Waterbenders don't get burnt. Wanna test it out?"

Kiri let out the breath she was holding through her teeth, her eyes fixed on the house in front of her. Meilin tightened her grip, as if she was afraid her friend would break free at any moment and do something they would both regret. In that regard, Meilin was probably right.

"Hey! Waterbender! Jiang asked you a question!" shouted one of his friends.

"Leave it," said Jiang. "She's not really Fire Nation. She doesn't have any honor."

Kiri twitched.

"...Kiri..." began Meilin, her tone a warning. Kiri ignored her, turning around to face Jiang-her blue eyes narrowed. She took a step forward.

"Don't you have something better to do, Jiang?" asked a male voice from behind her. Kiri froze, turning around. A boy, around sixteen years old, was walking over to Jiang, his gold eyes narrow. Beside him walked another boy-seventeen-with black hair and brown eyes. Jiang froze, looking between the two of them for a moment before he closed his fist, the fire in his hand going out. He straightened up.

"Her Highness and I were just talking," he said.

"I'm sure," said the boy, with a small smile. "I'm also sure Her Highness and my sister can tell me later exactly what you were talking about. And maybe my father won't even be in the room with us when we talk about it."

Jiang blanched. Kiri straightened up, staring at the boy. Arashi wasn't a Firebender, but he did have something else that gave him the respect of people like Jiang. Power. Arashi's father was a Firebender formerly in the Fire Nation Navy, and one of Fire Lord Zuko's staunchest supporters. He judged crimes not severe enough to be passed on to the Fire Lord, and decided which crimes _were _severe enough to merit the Fire Lord's attention. Crimes such as attacking a member of the royal family.

Jiang knew by now that Kiri wouldn't say anything-not unless she wanted to be seen as weak-and Meilin wouldn't say anything if Kiri told her not to...but there was no guarantee of that with Arashi.

"...We weren't talking about anything in particular," said Jiang, grudgingly, looking past Arashi and glaring at Kiri. Kiri glared back, straightening up and brushing Meilin's hand off her arm. Arashi nodded.

"That's good to know," he said. "Now get lost, Jiang. Your family isn't even important enough to live here."

Jiang glared at Arashi for a few moments before mumbling something under his breath, turning around and walking away. Arashi watched him leave, waiting until he was out of sight. Then, he sighed. "Well, _that _could have been messy," he said. He turned around to face the girls, bowing at Kiri. "Princess."

"Arashi," said Kiri, nodding in acknowledgment. Meilin grimaced.

"Are you two going to do that every time you meet? Because it's starting to get annoying."

"I'm just reminding Princess Kiri that some of us actually have manners," said Arashi with a small smile. He glanced after Jiang, his eyes hardening. "Ignore him, Your Highness. He can't touch you. The weakest dogs bark the loudest."

"I know," said Kiri. She smiled slightly. "Thank you, Arashi..."

"You're welcome," said Arashi, returning her smile. He turned towards the other boy with him, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry about that, Tom," he said. "Hope we're not running late."

"We have about half an hour," said Tom-Tom, grinning. "Don't worry about it."

"Come on," said Meilin, tugging on Kiri's sleeve. "Let's go inside before Jiang comes back."

"If he comes back, call security," said Arashi, turning towards Meilin as the two of them walked into the house. "Just say he's being too loud. They'll send him away."

"I will!" promised Meilin, waving goodbye at her brother before closing the front door behind her.

XxXxX

**Review Responses: **

**koku - **I hope this chapter eased your fears somewhat. I can't really tell you how Kiri's going to turn out, because the whole plot of the story is her growing up and all, but don't worry about it. I have no intention of making her an Azula-clone. Thanks for the review! ^_^

**Acknowledgments: **

**ZarosKnight** for the fave. Thanks!


	3. Honesty

**A/N: **Finally, Zuko shows himself! Yay! I'm gonna try to work a few Zutara scenes in the mix as well. Also, please review and tell me who you think Aang should be paired up with. Same goes for Toph. And if no one responds, I'm just going to go for the simplest choice and just pair them up with each other.

**Disclaimer: **Kiri and all the OCs are mine. But I don't own anything else.

**PART I: PRINCESS OF FIRE**

**Chapter Two: Honesty  
**

When Zuko was a child, breakfast at the royal family's table had always been a quiet and subdued affair. His grandfather had never really liked conversation at the table, so any questions brought up during mealtimes were answered quickly and any remarks were quickly dealt with. After his grandfather died and his father was crowned Fire Lord, conversations at the table were mostly between his father and Azula, with him feeling more or less like the third wheel. He didn't miss those days.

Well...not usually.

"I'm _telling _you, Master Zhu is _out to get me_!" said Zian from one end of the table, banging his chopsticks against his plate in insistence.

"No, he's not. You're just lazy," retorted nine-year-old Yuzuki from across from Zian. Even at nine-years-old, it was easy to tell that Yuzuki wouldn't be a very big person. She was thin and fine-boned, and her long black hair done up in a traditional Fire Nation topknot and big gold eyes made her seem smaller than she actually was. But what she lacked in size, she made up for with personality.

Remembering Toph, Zuko actually shuddered slightly, and wondered what it was about short people being so scary.

"Oh yeah?" asked Zian. "Let's see _you _do the fourteenth form perfectly."

Yuzu smirked, thrusting out one slender arm in a quick movement. A column of orange flames erupted from her fist, sailing just over Zian's head. Zian let out a "Whoa!" of surprise, leaning back and nearly falling off his chair.

"Are you _crazy_?" asked Zian, righting himself. "You nearly burned my eyebrows off!"

Yuzu snickered. "You asked for it," she said.

"Yuzu, no bending at the table," said his wife sternly from beside him, looking up from her meal.

"That was very good, Yuzuki," said Iroh, smiling from his place at Zuko's other side. He put down his cup of tea. "But you must remember to keep your breathing even. It produces a stronger flame."

"Don't encourage her!" said Katara, looking up at Iroh.

"It could use some work," said Azula with a shrug from her seat beside Iroh.

"You too!" said Katara, turning towards her.

"Ah, yes, my apologies," said his uncle. "Zian, if you like, when school lets out today, I could work with you on your technique."

"Can't," said Zian, taking a bite of bread. "Meeting friends."

"See, I told you he was lazy!" said Yuzu.

"Yuzu..." said Katara, a warning in her voice.

"Well, he _is_!" she said, poking at the food on her plate.

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose, between his eyes. Now he understood why his grandfather kept everyone quiet. He hadn't even started the first meeting of the day and he already had a headache. He looked at his eldest daughter, seated between Iroh and Zian. So far, she was the only one that hadn't spoken-calmly buttering a roll and barely even reacting to the chaos around her. It was hard to believe that she was already thirteen. Already, he had a couple of noblemen making noises about how advantageous to his position it would be if he had her betrothed to one of their sons. In a few years, there would be more of those that he would have to "politely" decline.

Zuko frowned. Was it his imagination, or did Kiri look...dressed for battle today?

She was dressed in her dark red school uniform, but her clothes seemed straighter than usual today, and her hair done up in a perfect topknot. The symbol of the Fire Nation-a tuft of flame-had been inserted into her topknot, telling everyone around her that she was a member of the royal family.

"Something on your mind, Kiri?" he asked.

She looked up and put down the roll, her face immediately brightening. "Essay day," she said with a small smile.

"Oh no," said Zuko.

Kiri's smile widened into a grin. "Oh, yes," she said. "I am two arguments away from driving that old bat into retirement."

"What's the essay on today?" he asked.

"Sozin's War," replied Kiri. She picked up her knife, pointing it at Zian's hand, which had somehow crawled over the space between them and was now resting just an inch away from her roll-the last one on the table. "Want to keep those fingers?" she asked nonchalantly, not even looking at her her brother. Zian snatched his hand back with a grumble.

Zuko winced. Sozin's War. That would be a _long _debate. Yuzuki giggled.

"Can I come over and watch?" she asked.

"If your teacher lets you out," replied Kiri. She picked up her roll again, then stopped, suddenly remembering something.

"Oh, Dad," she said. "Meilin invited me to go with her family to Ember Island for two weeks when school lets out. What do I tell her?"

Zuko frowned. "You didn't forget about Ba Sing Se, did you?" he asked.

"No," said Kiri, quickly. "But I don't have to stay for the full two weeks. If I leave three days early, I'll still be able to make it in time to catch the airship, and, well...I want to go..."

Zuko thought about it. Leaving Ember Island a week and a half after school let out would be cutting it a little close, but it was manageable. If it was Zian, he might have been a little worried, but Kiri...

The door to the dining hall opened, interrupting his thoughts. A messenger clad in Fire Nation red and black walked over to him, bowing as he presented him with a scroll in a carrying case. The case was blue and white, and seemed to be made of some sort of animal bone. The symbol of the Southern Water Tribe was engraved on the top. Seeing it, Katara looked up.

"My lord, a message from Chief Hakoda," said the messenger.

Zuko nodded, cracking open the seal and pulling the scroll out. He unrolled it, scanning it with his eyes. He looked at the signature. It was Hakoda alright-during the peace talks a few years ago, they had all agreed to sign their names at the bottom of official letters with a flourish so that they could immediately tell which messages were forged. He read the letter twice, then rolled it back up and slipped the scroll into its case, handing it to the waiting messenger boy.

"Give this to Rong Shi," he said, naming the head of the palace staff. "Tell him to make the appropriate preparations."

"My lord," said the messenger, bowing deeply before leaving the room.

Zuko looked up, realizing that his whole family (with the exception of Azula, who was examining her nails with a smirk on her face), was looking at him expectantly. Zian's hand moved towards Kiri's roll again. She swatted at it without even turning towards him.

"What's happened, Zuko?" asked Katara.

He turned towards her. "Your father's coming to visit," he said. "And he's bringing Sokka. They're staying for around three weeks."

Excited conversation broke out from among his children.

"Uncle Sokka's coming?" repeated Zian. "Cool!"

"I can't believe Grandfather's going to be here to see me in the Fire Lily Festival!" said Yuzuki.

"Is Aunt Suki coming too?" asked Kiri.

"The letter didn't mention her," said Zuko. "I think she's staying with the Kyoshi Warriors."

The door opened again, although it didn't silence the excited chatter this time. A maid walked into the room, bowing politely at the table.

"Excuse me," she said. "Princess Kiri, the Lady Meilin has arrived in her carriage."

"That's my ride," said Kiri with a grin, sliding out of her chair and fixing her school uniform. She picked up the bag her maid dutifully handed out to her, slinging it over her shoulder. Kiri bowed politely at the table, remembering protocol. "Excuse me."

Zuko nodded. "You're excused," he said.

"Wait, so you aren't going to school with me?" asked Yuzuki, a disappointed frown on her face. Kiri looked at her apologetically. "Sorry," she said. "Meilin wanted to talk about stuff, but I'll go with you tomorrow." She paused, turning around to face him.

"...Ember Island?" she asked.

Zuko sighed, exchanging a glance with Katara. Katara nodded.

"Tell her it's fine," said Zuko, nodding at Kiri. Kiri grinned. "Thanks!" she said, turning around and preparing to walk out the door. She stopped halfway to the door, turning around and snatching the roll off her plate just before Zian could grab it.

"To eat on the way," she said, smirking once at her brother before rushing out the door.

XxXxX

"Well, you have to admit, it was an eventful day," said Kiri later that day, walking down the street with Meilin. She tugged her schoolbag further up her back. "Talk about being saved by the bell."

"Not funny," said Meilin. "I think Mistress Xiao was going to accuse you of treason or something!"

Kiri's expression darkened. "Would anyone really believe it if she did?" she asked.

Meilin shifted uncomfortably. Kiri looked up at her, her blue eyes wide. "...Mei?" she asked.

"Well...it's just..." said Meilin. She took a deep breath. "Some of the things you were saying-criticizing Fire Lords Sozin and Azulon-well...they were kinda...n-not that I thought so, but they sounded..."

"Meilin, I _love _this country," said Kiri.

"I know that!" said Meilin quickly. "I know that better than most people, Ki..."

"Let me finish," said Kiri. "I can love this country and still admit that a lot of the things my ancestors did were _wrong_! Can't I?"

Meilin looked really uncomfortable. "Of course you can," she said. "And you know I agree with you. But...don't you think that you should keep a low profile? Because of...well...who you are?"

"A Waterbender?" asked Kiri, spitting the word out like it was a curse.

"No!" said Meilin. "A princess!"

Kiri bit her lip and looked away, keeping her eyes on the corner of the street as they waited for a merchant with his cart to pass by. When it was gone, they crossed. She took a deep breath. "The things that happened in this country started because good people did nothing and said nothing," she said.

Meilin reached out to touch her arm, a concerned look on her best friend's face. Kiri sighed.

"Never mind," she said. "Maybe I did get a little...overenthusiastic."

"I'm not saying I don't agree with what you believe in," said Meilin. "I do. But play politics a little, Kiri. You know there are people out there just waiting for you to slip up. Enemies of your father, enemies of this country..."

"Would be nice if I didn't have to," said Kiri.

"I know," said Meilin. "But we're nobility. We don't get the luxury of being honest. We have to keep this country together."

"I know, Mei..." she said. "But..."

Meilin stopped. "But what?" she asked. Kiri turned to face her.

"...There has to be a way..." said Kiri, looking up at her friend. Meilin met her eyes tentatively, almost guiltily. "...to find a compromise between who we want to be and who we need to be."

Meilin looked unsure. She took a deep breath, her expression becoming less tentative. "...We'll find it, Kiri," she said. "I don't know how...but we'll find it. But we can't find it now."

"...Yeah..." said Kiri. "I guess you're right..."

Meilin let out the breath she was holding, looking around. "...This is my turn," she said.

"I know..." said Kiri.

"Will you get home alright?" asked Meilin, looking guilty.

"I'll be fine," she said. "I know my way home."

Meilin nodded. "See you tomorrow," she said, turning around and walking down the street.

Kiri watched her go, one hand resting on the strap of her schoolbag. Once her friend was out of sight, she pulled her bag higher up on her shoulder, turning around and running in the opposite direction from the palace-into town. Hopefully her maid had packed her schoolbag like she instructed her to, but she wasn't too worried. Asha could keep her mouth shut. She ducked behind a tea shop when nobody was looking-the girl that attended it letting her sneak in through the backdoor wordlessly. Kiri threw her school bag onto the floor and opened it, quickly digging out the hidden change of clothes that Asha had slipped in there under her books. She reached up into her hair, pulling out the Fire Nation symbol and tossing it in the bag before laying out the clothes on the floor.

Kiri stood up, making sure the door behind her was closed before she began to disrobe, the uniform of the Royal Fire Academy falling to the ground.

XxXxXx

**A/N: **Ooh, where's Kiri going? To find out, tune in to the next installment of **Blood In the Water: Princess of Fire**!

**Review Responses: **

No reviews this time. *sadface* Please review!

**Acknowledgments: **

**Sweet DK **and **zutaraluvr10 **for the faves, and **Cutiepie83 **and **musicxlax **for the alerts! Thanks!


	4. The Master

**A/N: **Finally, Zuko shows himself! Yay! I'm gonna try to work a few Zutara scenes in the mix as well. Also, please review and tell me who you think Aang should be paired up with. Same goes for Toph. And if no one responds, I'm just going to go for the simplest choice and just pair them up with each other.

**Disclaimer: **Kiri and all the OCs are mine. But I don't own anything else.

**PART I: PRINCESS OF FIRE**

**Chapter Three: The Master**

XxXxX

_The child was doing her best to stay hidden, but he could tell that she was there, watching through the slight opening in the wooden door in the back of the building. He had no idea how she had gotten in, or who had let her in, but he could deal with that in time. He quickly moved over to one of the boys that was struggling with his stance, pushing his leg back into place with the butt of his staff. He walked around the class for a minute more, dodging a kick that he was nearly caught in and swinging his staff under another boy's outstretched arm and pushing it higher. _

_A bell rang overhead, sounding the time. He tapped his staff on the ground once and the class of six boys stopped sparring, all of them turning to face him where they stood. They touched closed fists lightly to open palms, bowing from the waist. He bowed back, then straightened up. _

_"There will be no classes tomorrow, due to the arrival of the Fire Nation Festival," he said. "We will have classes the day after. You are dismissed." _

_The boys exchanged glances. It wasn't often that he ended a class without commenting on each of their strengths and weaknesses. But he had no time for that. He would have plenty to say when they returned from their short holiday. He waited until each student, murmuring and talking amongst themselves about one thing or another, had left the room before walking over to the door and quickly yanking it open. _

_The girl fell to the ground with a small shout, throwing her arms out to protect herself. He frowned as he recognized her, his eyes narrowing. She seemed around nine years old. _

_"What are you doing here?" he asked, unfriendly. _

_"I-I was just watching..." she said. _

_"Well, stop watching," he said, walking past her and into the chamber beyond the dojo's practice room. "This place is for students only." He heard the rustle of clothing as she straightened up behind him. _

_"Th-that's why I'm here, actually," she said. _

_He turned his head towards her, raising an eyebrow. The girl pressed her fist into her open palm, bowing at him. "Please train me," she said. _

_"No," he said, sharply, turning away. _

_She blinked. "W-Why not?" she asked._

_"I don't train women," he replied, not looking at her. "The art I teach is demanding. I don't have time to coddle little girls." _

_"Then don't treat me as a girl," she said. "Treat me as a student." _

_He looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "If I did that, you wouldn't last a week," he said. _

_"Try me." _

_He wanted to turn her away then and there, but she was insistent. There was something in her eyes then. Fire. She wouldn't rest until he proved to her that he was correct. He sighed, his shoulders slumping in resignation. _

_"One week," he said. "You're to report here every day at this time, and that _includes_ tomorrow. If I am satisfied with your performance at the end of the week, I will consider taking you on." __  
_

XxXxX

She ducked behind a wooden building and leaned her back against the wall, breathing softly and quickly from the exertion. Overhead, the sun shone bright in the afternoon sky. She folded her bare arms, listening carefully for the sound of activity in the streets. If she had timed it right, it wouldn't be much longer now. She had done this enough times over the past few years to know which cues to pick up on.

She was dressed in a red and gold martial arts vest, held together in the front by black clasps. Beneath that, she wore loose fitting black pants, tucked into her black boots. She was still wearing her topknot, with the Fire Nation symbol removed from it. Her schoolbag, with her books and other clothes, was slung over her shoulder. Black bracers were tied around her wrists.

The sound of doors opening onto the street and students spilling out made her look up. The street filled with conversation as all the martial arts students in this part of the city spilled out of their respective buildings and began heading home. Kiri glanced around the corner, looking at the street. She recognized Arashi passing by, joking around with another boy as he walked out of Piandao's sword school. He paused, glancing in her direction. Kiri quickly pulled away, pressing her back against the wall and taking a deep breath.

That was a little too close for comfort.

She counted to ten slowly before straightening up, walking along the back of the building towards the backdoor. She had found the backdoor that first day almost four years ago, and had been using it since. Kiri opened the door slowly, stepping into the darkened equipment room of the dojo. From inside the dojo itself, she could still hear conversation. She stood in the back room, waiting until the last of the sounds were gone before she crossed over into the dojo proper.

A man, his dark hair already laced with gray, turned towards her. He was dressed in the same attire she was, except a golden dragon snaked its way across the back of his vest. She bowed at him. He bowed back.

After a quick warm-up, she sat on her heels on the floor. He sat across from her, looking her over with a critical eye.

"Have you considered my last offer?" he asked.

"I'm not sure I want to go through with it," she admitted. "I like the anonymity."

"Decide quickly," he said. "Perform the seventh kata."

Kiri pushed herself to her feet. He remained seated. She took a deep breath and arranged her body in the first stance, executing a series of quick movements. Her hands and feet felt sluggish as she moved through the kicks, as if they didn't want to obey her. Sore muscles protested the movement. Kiri's eyes narrowed, a bead of sweat trickling down the side of her face as she forced her arms and legs to obey her. She finished off the last kick and straightened up, bowing at the old master and trying hard not to breathe too loudly.

"Have you adjusted to the weights?" he asked.

Kiri frowned. "I have been wearing them all weekend, like you asked, Sifu," she said, looking down at her wrists. Iron weights had been tucked into the cloth of the bracers, not enough that she couldn't carry it, but enough to weigh her down. Her boots had also been weighted. "I haven't quite adjusted to them, but they don't bother me as much as they first did."

He nodded. "I'll give you a few more days to adjust, before I increase the weight." He stood up, looking at her. "Your movements were too slow. You'll never be physically strong, so you have to make sure that you're the fastest person in the room. Perform the kata again, faster."

Kiri bowed in reply, inwardly sighing as she went through the kata again.

XxXxX

Water splashed all around her, washing the sweat from her training off her skin. She took a deep breath, reveling in the soothing feeling for a moment. Nothing felt better than a hot bath after training, especially after her master tried to teach her a new technique. She would have leaned back and fallen asleep in there, had she not remembered that this was not her house and she would need to get home before people wondered where she was. With a sigh, she dipped her head under the water one last time before standing up.

Kiri extended her hand, bending the water away from her body and back into the tub as she allowed the water to drain. She reached up, bending all the water out of her hair and forming a small sphere with it. She let the sphere extend into a stream of water that washed down the drain, running a hand through her hair to make sure it was dry. She opened her bag, redressing in her school uniform and replacing the Fire Nation symbol in her hair. Once she was satisfied with her appearance, she slipped her feet back into her weighted boots and slipped out the back door before the old master finished with his tea.

Half an hour later, she was walking into the palace. Kiri kept one hand on the strap of her backpack, looking around furtively for Asha. Her maid wasn't anywhere in sight. Kiri frowned, trying to remember if Asha had said anything to her about not being able to show up today.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" asked a voice from behind her.

Kiri stiffened, recognizing that voice. She turned around. Azula was sauntering over to her, one hand on her hip and a smirk on her face that made her look distinctly predatory. Kiri remembered herself just in time.

"Aunt Azula," she said, nodding her head.

"You're late," said Azula. "Where have you been?"

"I was with Meilin," said Kiri. It was the first thing that came to mind, and she had used that excuse on more than one occasion.

"Liar," said Azula. "Meilin came here to practice Firebending with your brother." She smirked, holding up one finger. "Try again, Kiki."

"...Fine," said Kiri. "I went to practice Waterbending." Her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag, almost protectively. Azula's eyes flicked towards the movement, and at that moment, Kiri knew that she was screwed.

"...What's in the bag?" asked Azula, almost sweetly.

"Nothing," said Kiri, a little too hastily.

She jumped back as her aunt lunged for it. Her aching muscles screamed in protest, her boots and wrists weighing her down. Her aunt's nails sank into the fabric of the bag and pulled. The bag opened, her soiled martial arts uniform falling onto the palace floor. Silence, for a moment.

Kiri stared at her aunt, horrified. Azula stepped back, her smirk widening. Kiri snatched up her clothes from the floor, turned around, and ran.

XxXxX

**Review Responses: **

**Squiggles23 -**Thanks! Glad you like it!

**SweetDK -** Usually fanfic kids annoy me too, but I'm glad you like mine! Thanks for reviewing!

**SeekerGirl17 - **Haha, thanks! Glad you like them. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Acknowledgments: **

**SeekerGirl17 **and **Iceblossom22 **for the faves, and **MoRaine25 **and **Squiggles23 **for the alerts! Thanks!


End file.
